Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's latest Hollywood venture, the documentary "Cookie Queens," has failed to achieve significant box-office success, earning approximately $354,000 from 446 theaters during its opening weekend. The film, which follows four Girl Scouts navigating cookie sales and explores themes of ambition and leadership, was out-earned by "CatVideoFest 2026," a compilation of viral internet cat videos that grossed around $569,000 on fewer screens. This performance has led some royal commentators to question the commercial viability of projects solely associated with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex when they are not directly focused on royal family dynamics.
Royal commentator Kinsey Schofield noted that while the couple excels at generating headlines, this attention does not always translate into paying customers. "There was a period when simply attaching their names to something guaranteed enormous curiosity. I’m not convinced that’s true anymore," Schofield told Fox News Digital. She added that the optics of "Cookie Queens" finishing behind a collection of cat videos are particularly challenging for Hollywood. Schofield also suggested that the public's fascination with Meghan Markle may stem more from "infamy" than from a desire to support her projects, creating a distinction between generating interest and driving ticket sales.
Hilary Fordwich, another royal expert, echoed this sentiment, stating that the documentary's underperformance indicates that the couple's appeal may be limited unless their projects involve criticism of or revelations about the British royal family. "Unless they are bashing the royals and sharing inside stories, secrets and betraying the privacy of the family, there isn’t much they have that is at all in demand nor popular," Fordwich said. She believes Markle lacks the commercial pull she desires and that the couple faces increased pressure to prove they can produce a mainstream hit independent of royal controversy.
This box-office result follows a pattern of projects that have garnered significant media attention, particularly those that delved into their departure from royal duties. The 2022 Netflix docuseries "Harry & Meghan" and Harry's 2023 memoir "Spare" both generated substantial global headlines by focusing on their experiences with the monarchy. Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams identified these projects as the couple's most significant attention-grabbers, attributing their success to "betrayals of the royal family."
Fitzwilliams suggested that while the world knows who Harry and Meghan are, public curiosity may not extend to consuming content produced by them, citing other ventures like "With Love, Meghan" and the Invictus Games series as examples that have not achieved widespread success. He posited that their appeal remains tied to their connection to the royal family, with other commercial ventures, such as their lifestyle brand, becoming a source of public amusement.
Schofield elaborated on the challenge of monetizing attention, differentiating between generating buzz and having commercial influence. "People want to consume content about Harry and Meghan," she said, "but are they equally interested in consuming content from Harry and Meghan?"
Schofield also pointed out that Hollywood's expectations have shifted since the couple's arrival in California. Initially, their departure from the royal family created immense curiosity. Now, the industry is looking for tangible results and the ability to build an audience around content that doesn't rely on royal drama. The pattern of significant announcements without finished, successful products risks damaging their credibility in Hollywood, according to Schofield. She emphasized that a solid production reputation cannot be built on press releases alone.
Schofield concluded that the performance of projects like "Cookie Queens" is crucial because their success becomes part of the couple's professional résumé. The need for a genuine hit is more urgent, as tangible results are now expected, given their access and resources. The future standing of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in Hollywood may depend more on their ability to execute successful projects than on generating publicity. ![Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Alysa Nahmias with girls from "Cookie Queens" at a screening.]( "Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Alysa Nahmias with girls from "Cookie Queens" at a screening.")